


The Part Where You Let Go

by enigmaticblue



Category: Eureka
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-02
Updated: 2011-05-03
Packaged: 2017-10-18 22:00:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/193756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jack takes it upon himself to stop the time loops, it’s up to Nathan to bring him back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Losing

**Author's Note:**

> Many, many thanks to enmuse, whose idea this originally was, and who wrote some bits and pieces that she allowed me to use. This story would not exist without her. The title is from the song by Hem of the same name.

Nathan is about half a second away from calling Carter and telling him to bring the logic diamond to Global Dynamics. Carter might be the very definition of dependable, but Nathan knows how unhappy he is about the wedding.

 

“Why Allie had to ask _him_ to walk her down the aisle, I’ll never know,” Nathan mutters, pushing back from his desk. He has an assistant to collect and a delivery to oversee. The new clock has put Nathan squarely into Eva Thorne’s good graces, and Nathan has every intention of using that to his and Allie’s advantage.

 

Carter’s entry has Nathan freezing in place. The sheriff looks like he’s been through the war—cuts and bruises on his face, dirt on his uniform, and his left arm pressed tightly to his ribs. “What the hell happened to you?” Nathan demands.

 

“It’s a long story,” Carter replies wearily. “I need your help.”

 

“I don’t have time for this,” Nathan snaps. “I’ve got—”

 

“An important delivery,” Jack finishes for him. “I know. You’ve got a clock that has the Swiss fuming.”

 

Nathan frowns. “How do you know about that?”

 

“There’s a time loop, and time is destabilizing.” Carter pulls an envelope out of his back pocket. “I don’t have a lot of time to explain. It took eight hours for you—the previous you—to figure this much out. We’re under the gun here.”

 

Nathan snorts and tries to go around him. “Far be it from me to critique your scientific knowledge, Carter, but that’s impossible.”

 

“Damn it, Stark!” Carter snaps, slapping the envelope against Nathan’s chest. “Just read it!”

 

Nathan doesn’t think he’s heard Carter swear at him like that before, and he takes it out of reflex, his eyes scanning the page. Although most of the print is computer-generated, there’s a note in Nathan’s scrawl at the top of the page.

 

It’s decidedly odd for Nathan to read a note that he doesn’t remember writing but that definitely came from his hand.

 

“ _If you’re reading this, it means that Carter is telling the truth. You’d better listen to him._ ”

 

Nathan rubs his face. “Okay, give me a few minutes to look it over.” He gives Carter a sharp look, noting the faint tremors running through the other man. “And sit down before you fall down, Sheriff.”

 

With a gentle hand, Nathan guides Carter to the sofa in his office and pushes him to sit. “How many loops is this?”

 

Carter shakes his head. “Uh, five? I think. Maybe six.”

 

Nathan raises his eyebrows. “Are you seeing double, Carter? Headache?”

 

“I don’t have a concussion, and I’m not crazy,” Carter mumbles.

 

Nathan decides that arguing with Carter would be adding insult to injury, and Carter’s looking pretty rough. “Okay, who was working on this with me?” Nathan asks. “I’m assuming Weinbrenner was the one who got it started.”

 

“Something about ultra-indigo light?” Jack asks. “We went over this last loop.”

 

“Which you would remember, but I wouldn’t,” Nathan replies impatiently.

 

“I made you write that stuff down so I wouldn’t have to work so hard convincing you this time,” Carter says, his eyes sliding shut.

 

“I need some time to get up to speed,” Nathan says. “So, lay down, get some rest, and I’ll come get you when I have a better idea of how we’re going to fix this.”

 

He figures it’s an indicator of how tired and bruised Carter is when he doesn’t so much as voice a complaint, let alone put up a fight. Carter always fights it when Nathan gives an order, but this time, Carter just slumps lower, tips his head back, and closes his eyes.

 

Nathan spares Carter a final glance, wondering if he should get Allie in to look at him. If Nathan does that, he has to tell Allison what’s going on, though, and this is supposed to be her big day. He’s not going to ruin it, and Carter is moving under his own steam, so his injuries probably aren’t life threatening.

 

Nathan sends Fargo to take delivery of the clock while he goes over his own notes. He spares a moment to think about how much easier it is to follow his own line of reasoning, rather than having to decipher someone else’s, and he’s grateful for that small mercy.

 

Because the truth is that Nathan has no idea how to fix this. Their last attempt should have worked.

 

“Nathan!” Allison calls as he strides across the lobby on his way back from his lab to his office.

 

“Allison,” Nathan replies, momentarily drawing a blank on what to say. “You know, I think it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.”

 

“Only if she’s wearing the dress,” Allison replies, but her smile seems a little forced. “I talked to Carter.”

 

Nathan winces. “Ah…”

 

“He says you’re working on the problem?”

 

Nathan had expected her to ask more questions, so he just nods. “Yeah, I’m working on it. We’ll find a solution.”

 

“Weinbrenner’s dead,” Allison informs him. “His body is still in the morgue. Jack tells me that I—well, that some version of me—called Henry in to do an autopsy, but of course we won’t have the results.”

 

Nathan shrugs. “If we don’t get this taken care of, it’s not going to matter. I think this is the last loop. How’s Carter?”

 

“He’ll be fine,” Allison replies. “He’s got a couple of broken ribs, and scrapes and bruises. He wouldn’t let me do more than look at him.”

 

“I’ll escort him to the infirmary myself when this is all over,” Nathan promises. “Right now, though, I need his help.”

 

Allison nods. “I’ll see you later.” She touches his arm. “Nathan—call if you’re going to be late.”

 

“You should probably bet on it,” Nathan replies. “We can’t try to accelerate the photon until 6 pm sharp.”

 

She nods, but her eyes are troubled. Nathan wants to ask her what’s going through her head, but he honestly doesn’t have the time to spare right now.

 

They go their separate ways, and Nathan heads to his office to collect Carter. “I need you to answer a few questions,” Nathan says without preamble. “We’re heading down to the time maintenance lab.”

 

Carter stands with some effort, his face pale and sweaty. Nathan feels a surge of unwelcome respect; he doesn’t think he’s ever met anyone who is quite as persistent, and he has to admire that kind of determination. “Yeah, let’s get moving.”

 

Nathan peppers Carter with questions, trying to remember to keep the words to two syllables or less, and Carter responds slowly but with every indication that he understands.

 

“You know, I’ve been through this before,” Carter says as they near the lab. “I might understand more than you think.”

 

Nathan doesn’t dignify that assertion with a response. “Sit down before you fall down, Carter. I’ll get moving on this.”

 

Fargo is waiting for them, and he follows Nathan’s explanation of what’s going on with ease. Fargo’s been around long enough that he knows how Nathan thinks, and he can often anticipate Nathan’s orders and requests. They move seamlessly around each other while Carter looks on. Even with Nathan’s notes from the last loop, and knowing what had been tried before, they’re running out of time.

 

When Nathan’s last attempt to remotely synchronize the photon acceleration and the new clock fails, he slams his hand down on his lab table. “Damn it!”

 

“No luck, huh?” Carter’s weary question pulls Nathan’s attention away from his laptop.

 

Nathan shakes his head. “No. We’re going to have to do it manually. _Fuck_.”

 

Jack stands. “Is there any way to hook up the clock outside the shielding?”

 

Nathan runs a hand through his hair and turns to look at Fargo. “Fargo? Any suggestions?”

 

Fargo opens his mouth to reply, and then his eyes go wide. “What—Sheriff Carter!”

 

Looking back, Nathan knows he should have expected Carter to do an end run around him, but he’d thought Carter too injured to move that fast. By the time Nathan has figured out what Carter is planning, it’s too late—Carter has secured the door to the shielding, locking them out.

 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Carter?” Nathan demands angrily.

 

“Ending this,” Carter says shortly. “I have your notes. I know how this works.”

 

“Carter—”

 

“Look,” the sheriff says, a little desperately. “This is the last loop, right? So, if I don’t do this, we’re all dead, and if something happens to me—well, as much as I hate to admit it, you’re the best person to fix the problem, Stark.”

 

Nathan can’t argue with that logic, as much as he might want to, so he says, “And if this doesn’t work, and there is another loop?”

 

“I’m not going to last,” Jack says softly. “I’ve got bruises on top of bruises, Stark, and at least a couple of broken ribs. I can’t do another one.”

 

“Damn it,” Nathan mutters.

 

“Do me a favor?” Carter asks.

 

Nathan nods, the words stuck in his throat.

 

“Take care of Zoe for me. Make sure she has the chance to stay in Eureka.”

 

Nathan nods. “Of course, but—”

 

“And take care of Allison,” Carter continues as though he hadn’t been interrupted. “Make her happy.”

 

Nathan shakes his head. “We’re not getting married today, Carter. Not if—”

 

“Yeah. Just—take care of them.”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Sixty seconds!” Fargo calls.

 

Nathan keeps his eyes on Carter, who bends his head to make a few last minute adjustments to Weinbrenner’s device.

 

“Jack,” Nathan begins.

 

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Carter warns. “Keep an eye on Thorne, okay? She’s up to something, and she’s trying to rope Henry into helping her. Something about berry-genic radiation. Henry knows.”

 

“Thirty seconds!” Fargo warns.

 

“I’ll take care of Thorne,” Nathan promises.

 

“Tell Jo she’s going to do great as sheriff,” Jack says.

 

Nathan swallows the lump in his throat. “I’m going to get you back, Carter.”

 

“I know you’ll do your best.”

 

“Ten seconds!”

 

“Jack…”

 

“I’ll see you on the other side,” Carter says with a wry smile.

 

Nathan takes a couple of steps back. “You’re going to be okay.”

 

“Watch over Zoe, make sure she doesn’t fall apart,” Carter says, a note of pleading in his voice.

 

“Done,” Nathan promises.

 

“Five!” Fargo calls.

 

Nathan’s heart is beating double-time, and his heart is in his throat. “Jack—”

 

Carter just smiles, and then he looks down at the tablet, his fingers moving over the touchpad as Fargo finishes the countdown.

 

Nathan wants to say something more. He wants to assure Carter once again that everything is going to be okay, but Nathan doesn’t have a way to make that promise.

 

Carter glances up with that same smile when Fargo says, “One!”

 

“He’s done it!” Fargo cries as the clock moves past 6:00:00.

 

Nathan just shakes his head because Carter hasn’t moved, and Nathan knows that’s a bad sign. Then Carter begins to disappear, and if Nathan were given to flights of fancy, he might have said that he could see it happen molecule by molecule.

 

Nathan hears Fargo gulp behind him. “What happened?” Fargo asks.

 

“I don’t know,” Nathan replies. “Do you have a record of what happened?”

 

Fargo nods. “Yeah, I’ve got it.”

 

“Send everything—and I mean _everything_ —to me,” Nathan orders. “Video footage, readouts, anything.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Fargo agrees readily. “You want that now?”

 

“Within the hour,” Nathan replies. “I have to go talk to Allison and Zoe.”

 

Nathan drives the speed limit on the way to the wedding, knowing that Allison—as well as the rest of the town—will be there. He heads for the bridal tent that had been set up for Allison’s use and sees Lupo standing guard outside.

 

“Dr. Stark!” Lupo says, stepping into his path. “Allison isn’t ready yet.”

 

“Find Zoe and get her here,” Nathan orders. “Do it now.”

 

Allison is inside the tent, still in her business suit, pacing. “Nathan, where’s—” She stops cold and swallows. “How bad?”

 

“I told Deputy Lupo to bring Zoe in,” Nathan responds.

 

Allison puts a hand over her mouth. “He’s—”

 

“Let’s wait for Zoe,” Nathan cuts her off. “I just want to go through this once.”

 

Allison’s lips tighten, but she nods. “Of course.”

 

When Lupo ushers Zoe inside, he watches as Zoe takes in the import of his and Allison’s presence. Her hands clench into fists, and Nathan suspects that Zoe won’t have a problem taking a swing at him if she decides he deserves it.

 

Hell, maybe he does.

 

“Maybe you should sit down,” he suggests.

 

Zoe stiffens, holding up a hand as though she can ward off Nathan’s news. “Where’s my dad?”

 

“Zoe,” Allison begins.

 

“No!” Zoe’s voice is a little higher, a little louder.

 

Lupo puts an arm around the girl’s shoulders and leads her to the settee. “Come on, Zoe.”

 

“What happened?” Zoe asks again.

 

Nathan kneels in front of her. “We had a serious problem up at Global Dynamics,” he begins. “There was an accident, and we were stuck in a destabilizing time loop. Your dad was one of the only people who were unaffected.”

 

He sees the understanding and the horror begin to dawn. “No.”

 

“All of our efforts to remotely stabilize the time loop failed, Zoe,” Nathan says gently. He wishes he were better with people, or that there’s a better way to break the news. “Someone had to synch time manually.”

 

Zoe blinks rapidly. “Why didn’t you do it? Why would you let my dad do that?”

 

Nathan doesn’t have an answer to that question; it echoes his own guilt too precisely. “I’m sorry,” he offers helplessly. “We don’t—there’s a possibility that Carter—that your dad is dematerialized and stuck in between space and time. If that’s true, I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to bring him back.”

 

He catches Allison’s disapproving look, probably because she thinks he’s offering Zoe false hope.

 

The expression on Zoe’s face indicates that she’s somewhere else entirely. “He knew. Dad _knew_.”

 

“Zoe, honey,” Allison began, her voice soft. “I’m sure he didn’t know.”

 

“No, he knew!” Zoe insists, fury and betrayal clear on her face. “He said he’d learned his lesson, and he said…” She sniffs, and now the tears fall. “God, he said he didn’t want to miss anything, that he wanted to spend time with us.” She looks at Lupo. “Aunt Lexi—”

 

“I’ll get her,” Lupo promises, her eyes suspiciously bright. “Just stay here.”

 

“Can we call your mom for you?” Allison asks cautiously, putting an arm around Zoe’s shoulders.

 

Zoe shakes her head. “No, you can’t. She’s consulting with a company in Japan. I don’t—it’s a year long contract. She can’t break it, and I don’t want to go to Japan.”

 

“You can stay here,” Nathan says. “I promised your dad you’d have the option of staying. If your aunt is willing to stay with you…”

 

“I think she was planning on it,” Zoe replies, sniffling.

 

Allison meets Nathan’s eyes. “Okay, then. We’ll make sure it happens, Zoe. Whatever you need.”

 

A blonde woman who looks to be in her mid-thirties walks into the tent as Lupo holds the flap up for her. “Zoe?” she says, sliding onto the settee on Zoe’s other side. “Is everything okay? Where’s Jack?”

 

“There’s been an accident,” Allison begins. “Carter is missing.”

 

Nathan retreats from the conversation, thinking of all the people who have to be informed. He has yet to tell Henry, and they’ll have to figure out something to tell Eva Thorne. Nathan suspects that he’ll be fighting an uphill battle to keep Carter from being declared dead.

 

And they’ll need to hold off on that, because otherwise there’s no way Nathan will get access to the resources needed to get Carter back. Besides, as long as Carter is just missing, and not dead, Zoe and Lexi have cause to stay in Eureka.

 

“I need to talk to you,” Lupo says, grabbing Nathan’s arm.

 

He allows her to pull him outside, and Nathan ushers Lupo away from the tent, trying to prevent anyone inside from overhearing them. “What do you want to say?”

 

“What the fuck happened?” Lupo demands. “What the _fuck_ did you do?”

 

There are times that Nathan forgets Lupo used to be Special Forces, but this is not one of those times. She’s fierce and uncompromising and she’s got his arm in a steel grip.

 

“I didn’t do anything!” Nathan says, defending himself the way he hadn’t been willing to do with Zoe. “This was Leo Weinbrenner’s problem. Carter was left with the clean-up.”

 

Lupo releases him. “You really think you’ll be able to get him back?”

 

“I don’t know,” Nathan replies honestly. “There’s a chance. I’m not giving up on Carter when there’s a chance.”

 

Lupo gives him a long, hard look, and he can feel himself being measured—and probably found wanting. In the end, she says, “Okay. Me neither. If you think you can get him back, I’ll back you up.”

 

Nathan nods. “Thanks. I’ve got to tell Henry, and we’re going to have to figure out how to break the news to the rest of the town.”

 

“I’ll find Henry,” Lupo replies. “Are you going through with the wedding?”

 

Nathan shakes his head. “No, I don’t think so.”

 

“I’ll be right back,” Lupo says. “Stay here.”

 

Allison joins Nathan a few moments later. “I left Zoe and Lexi in the tent. I thought they might need a private moment.”

 

“Lupo is looking for Henry.”

 

Allison stands next to Nathan, crossing her arms over her chest. “There’s not going to be a wedding, Nathan.”

 

“I know,” Nathan replies. “We can postpone it until…” He trails off when he sees her expression. “You were going to call it off.”

 

“I think we might have moved too fast,” Allison replies. “And I know you, Nathan. You’re going to spend every waking minute on this problem.”

 

“Probably,” Nathan admits. “It depends on how Thorne responds.”

 

Allison puts her hands over her face. “Nathan—isn’t it a little far-fetched to think you can bring Carter back?”

 

“I’ll have a better idea when see the data,” Nathan admits. “But I know what I saw, Allie. I think there’s a chance, and I’m not going to leave him like that.”

 

Allison sighs. “No one is suggesting that you do, Nathan.”

 

“Eva Thorne will,” Nathan replies darkly.

 

“We’ll deal with Thorne when the time comes,” Allison says wearily.

 

She’s lost a friend, Nathan thinks. Just like Zoe has lost a father and Lexi has lost a brother. Just like Henry has lost his best friend.

 

Nathan has allowed that fact to get lost in his own guilt. In comparison, Nathan hasn’t lost much.

 

But why does it feel as though he has?

 

Henry and Lupo join them a moment later. Henry’s face is lined and almost colorless; Lupo has apparently already given him the news. “Jo told me what happened,” Henry says, confirming Nathan’s suspicions. “How’s Zoe?”

 

“She’s hanging in there,” Allison assures him. “We’re going to have to tell the rest of the town, and we’ll have to announce that the wedding is canceled.”

 

“I’ll do it,” Nathan says. He’s probably the one least emotionally compromised by the turn of events, at least from the outside. He’s the one who pushed to have the wedding so soon, and he feels the heavy burden of responsibility. “Half the town is here. I can kill two birds with one stone.”

 

“I’d like to check on Zoe,” Henry says hoarsely. “Nathan, we can talk later. Maybe if we put our heads together, we’ll have a better idea of what happened.”

 

Nathan nods, knowing how much Henry needs to believe he’s doing something to help Carter. “Come by my office tomorrow,” he replies.

 

Nathan gets through the announcement by pulling on every resource he’s developed over the last twenty years. He knows how to get through a briefing or a press release with minimum fuss and maximum equanimity. Nathan keeps his expression impassive as he explains that the wedding has been delayed indefinitely because there’s been an accident at Global Dynamics, and Sheriff Carter is currently missing. He answers a few questions, and then walks away, heading back to GD.

 

Eva Thorne is in her office when Nathan walks through the lobby, but he ignores her presence and goes straight to his lab. Fargo has already sent the results from the time maintenance lab. Nathan pulls off his jacket and tie, and opens the first two buttons on his shirt, ready to get down to work.

 

The data confirms Nathan’s suspicions. There’s a chance that the sheriff is dead, of course, but Nathan thinks there’s a better chance that Carter’s still out there somewhere. It’s enough hope to go on.

 

~~~~~

 

Nathan wakes up in his lab, still wearing yesterday’s clothes, the ones he’d planned on wearing to his wedding. His cheek is stuck to the metal table, and Nathan peels himself off with a groan.

 

He should be on his honeymoon right about now. He should be with Allison, in a very large bed, but he’s here. Nathan would feel more resentful, but he knows that the other option, given yesterday’s events, is that he’d be the one in Carter’s predicament.

 

And if he’d been the one behind the shielding, there wouldn’t have been anyone with the know-how to get him back.

 

Allison bustles in a few moments later, giving him a sharp look. “You didn’t go home last night.”

 

“I was busy,” Nathan replies. “I wanted to have something to tell Thorne.”

 

“Well, we’ve got a meeting with her in fifteen minutes,” Allison announces briskly. “Will you be ready?”

 

“I have a clean shirt here,” he admits. “I’ll meet you at her office.”

 

Allison touches his cheek in a tender gesture. “Don’t let this eat you alive, Nathan.”

 

“I won’t,” he promises. “I’m sorry, Allie.”

 

“Don’t apologize,” she orders. “We all want him back. If you can do that…” She trails off, leaving the rest of her thought unspoken. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

 

Nathan swiftly changes his shirt, exchanging his white dress shirt for blue, and grabbing the spare tie he keeps on hand. He hopes his suit isn’t too rumpled, and that Thorne doesn’t find out he’d spent the night in his lab.

 

He can’t remember seeing her; it’s entirely possible that she won’t notice.

 

Eva is sitting behind her huge glass desk when Nathan arrives, with Allison already sitting in one of the black leather chairs across from her. Nathan slides into a seat next to Allison, maintaining an impassive expression.

 

“So, I hear that Sheriff Carter had an accident yesterday,” Thorne comments.

 

“He sacrificed himself for the rest of the town,” Nathan replies coolly. “I wouldn’t call that an ‘accident.’”

 

Allison shoots Nathan a look. “We have some information on what happened.”

 

“Let’s hear it.” Thorne maintains her aloofness.

 

Nathan gives Thorne a quick run-down, keeping his voice dispassionate and his explanation concise.

 

“And you think that Sheriff Carter is still alive?” Thorne asks, sounding skeptical.

 

“In a sense,” Nathan replies. “I believe it’s possible to get him back.” He’s not willing to drag Allison into this; he knows he might need her to provide a dispassionate voice.

 

Thorne raised her eyebrows and folded her hands in from of her face. “I see.”

 

“Is there a problem?” Allison asks with a raised eyebrow, and he can see that she’s spoiling for a fight. Nathan is, too.

 

Thorne shakes her head. “I’m only concerned because it’s pointless to keep Sheriff Carter on the payroll if he’s dead.”

 

“I’ve already considered that,” Allison replies. “My suggestion is that you declare Sheriff Carter missing. Whether he’s missing or dead, he _was_ working to solve a GD problem at the time. His survivors will receive a stipend. If you declare him missing, Zoe Carter can continue to live here, and if Dr. Stark is successful, you can deal with the fallout then.”

 

Thorne raises a single eyebrow. “And you think this is an adequate solution.”

 

“It’s better than a civil suit from Sheriff Carter’s estate, or from the sheriff if he’s returned alive,” Allison replies evenly.

 

Thorne had been right, Nathan thinks. Allison’s the one with the people skills.

 

Thorne nods decisively. “That’s a good point. Your solution has merit, Dr. Blake, and I commend you for arriving at such an elegant answer.” She levels a fierce look at Nathan. “I’m afraid we don’t have the resources to continue recovery efforts for the sheriff, however. Deputy Lupo will replace him.”

 

Nathan feels an overwhelming anger rising up. “What if I pursue it during my off-hours?”

 

“You can do whatever you please in your free time, Dr. Stark,” Thorne replies coolly. “But I expect productivity to remain at its current levels.”

 

Nathan manages not to curse with some effort. He’s aware that his current levels of productivity are as high as they are because he works more hours than most. He suspects that any dip in output will cause Thorne to forbid all efforts to get Carter back.

 

But Nathan doesn’t give a rat’s ass. He’s going to keep going, no matter what. He’d promised Carter as much.

 

“Of course,” Nathan assures her. “You won’t notice a difference.”

 

“I hope not,” Thorne replies, an almost-pleasant expression on her face. “We’re all hoping that you can bring Sheriff Carter home safely.”

 

Nathan waits until they’re well away from Thorne’s office before he says, “She’s lying through her teeth.”

 

“I’m sure she hopes that we bring Carter back safely,” Allison says reprovingly.

 

“Because she’s hoping to avoid a lawsuit,” Nathan mutters. “That was quick thinking on your part, Allie.”

 

“I know how her type thinks,” Allison replies dryly. “You know, you _could_ develop some interpersonal skills.”

 

“Why would I do that when I have you around?” Nathan asks with a grin.

 

Allison rolls her eyes, but her smile gives her away. “Nathan—don’t give Thorne a chance to shut you down.”

 

Nathan thinks of Carter’s warning, that Thorne was planning something, and he nods. “I won’t.”

 

“Go home, get some sleep, and come back when you’re fresh,” Allison orders. “We’re both exhausted, and it’s Sunday.”

 

“I’ll grab a shower and a nap.” Nathan doesn’t promise more, and Allison’s expression suggests she knows exactly what Nathan is up to.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Allison replies, pressing a kiss to Nathan’s cheek. “I want to spend some time with Kevin. Call me if you need me?”

 

“Of course,” he says. “I do love you, Allie.”

 

She smiles, but there’s a sense of sadness. “I love you, too.”

 

Nathan thinks it feels like an ending.


	2. Seeking

Nathan has been working on the problem of how to get Carter back for the last week, with no luck. He would prefer to work on the same problem straight through, not giving up until he had an answer, but that just isn’t possible.

 

If he doesn’t fulfill his responsibilities, Thorne will try to cut off all his avenues of investigation. Nathan can get around her, but that means more time wasted. There’s too much at stake right now, too much to do, for him to risk it.

 

If Thorne starts throwing up roadblocks, Nathan’s job is going to be that much harder.

 

What he hasn’t done is see Zoe, and he’s all too aware of his promise. Nathan had sworn he’d look after Carter’s kid, but Nathan suspects he’s the last person Zoe wants to see right now.

 

Allison walks into his office, her expression one of fond exasperation when she catches sight of Nathan. “Have you slept at all?”

 

“I grabbed a few hours last night,” Nathan replies, feeling a pang of guilt. He hasn’t seen much of Allison this last week, and he knows he’s doing exactly what he’d said he wouldn’t do. Nathan has become so wrapped up in his work—in this problem—that it’s taken over his life. “I’m sorry.”

 

“We’ve both been busy,” she replies, absolving him easily. “I want Carter back, too.”

 

Nathan isn’t sure what’s driving him. He keeps thinking about Carter’s face when he made Nathan promise to look after Zoe, and when he said goodbye. “The whole town wants Carter back,” Nathan replies for lack of a better response.

 

“Promise me that you’ll eat a decent meal and get out of the building for eight hours,” Allison insists.

 

Nathan rubs his eyes. “I’m meeting Henry at Café Diem for dinner. We’re supposed to go over what I’ve got so far.”

 

“And what _do_ you have so far?”

 

“Not as many answers as I’d like,” Nathan admits. “Damn it, Allie. I watched him—” He stops. It’s the first time Nathan had ever watched someone die—or something like it. He’s been working 18 and 20-hour days, and he’s exhausted.

 

Allison combed her fingers through his hair. “I’m serious, Nathan. After you have dinner with Henry, go home and get eight hours of sleep. In fact, get twelve, if you can manage it. You’ll think better if you get some distance.”

 

“Maybe you’re right,” he admits begrudgingly. “Thank you.”

 

Allison shakes her head. “I know you, Nathan.” She pulls his head to her chest, and Nathan just take a minute to breathe in her scent. “We need to talk about this.”

 

“I know what you’re going to say,” he murmurs, resignation coloring his voice.

 

“I love you,” she says softly. “But I can’t be first in your life, and you can’t be first in mine.”

 

He takes a deep breath and pulls back. “We work better as friends.”

 

“We do.” She caressed his cheek with her thumb. “I’m going home, and I think you should do the same. I don’t want to see you before Monday, Nathan.”

 

“I’ll do my best,” he replies.

 

Allison presses a chaste kiss to his lips, and then leaves. Nathan keeps pushing through, trying to make some sense out of the data that Fargo had gathered, and the simulations he’s been running for the last week.

 

Nathan is missing something, but he can’t put his finger on what. He’s hoping Henry will be able to help.

 

Even though he still has an hour before Henry is due at Café Diem, Nathan packs up his things and heads out, thinking that a change of scenery might help. The dinner crowd hasn’t yet begun to appear, and Nathan slides into an empty booth in the back corner, spreading his work out in front of him.

 

He glances up when he hears a throat being cleared. Zoe stands next to his booth, looking as awkward as he feels. “Can I get you anything, Dr. Stark?”

 

“Just coffee for now,” he replies. “I’m waiting for Henry.”

 

“I’ll let him know where you are when he gets here,” Zoe promises. He sees her eyeing his work and wonders if he should say something else, but she’s gone before he can come up with anything.

 

Nathan thanks her when she deposits a mug of coffee next to his right elbow, but he doesn’t look up until Henry slides into the booth across from him. “Hey, Nathan,” Henry says. “Have you been getting any sleep at all?”

 

Nathan winces. “Do I look that bad?”

 

Henry shrugs in lieu of a response. “Why don’t we eat, and then we’ll look at this. You could probably use the break.”

 

Nathan pushes the work aside reluctantly. Global Dynamics doesn’t shut down over the weekend, but the load lightens considerably. Nathan wants to take the weekend to get some real work done, but having the extra time isn’t going to help if he can’t put the pieces together.

 

Zoe comes by to take their orders, and Nathan makes a real effort to push work out of his mind for the time being. “How have you been?” Nathan asks Henry, feeling as though he’s completely lost the art of small talk in the last week.

 

But then, Thorne had been right about that much—Nathan’s people skills had never been terribly sharp.

 

Henry manages a smile, although it looks a little rusty. “I’m fine. I just miss Jack.”

 

Nathan isn’t sure that he should admit how much he misses the sheriff. “Eureka isn’t the same without him?” He makes it into a question, which is the only thing that saves his pride.

 

“Something like that,” Henry replies.

 

Their dinners arrive, and the conversation turns to other matters—the business of the town and local gossip. Nathan uses the opportunity to bring up Thorne, something he hasn’t had a chance to think about until now. “Carter said something before he disappeared,” Nathan says quietly. “Something about Thorne, and dragging you into it.”

 

“Ah.” Henry wipes his mouth with his napkin, fussing with it a bit, and Nathan recognizes the ruse to buy time. “She wanted me to do a survey on a plot of land outside of town. Specifically, she wanted to know what kind of radiation was present.”

 

“And?” Nathan prompts.

 

Henry lets out a breath. “I don’t think we should talk about this here.”

 

Nathan sighs. Henry is right, and he wouldn’t have brought it up if he hadn’t been so tired; he’s clearly not thinking straight. Nathan rubs his eyes. “I wish I had time to investigate Thorne’s intentions, but I don’t. If I slip up, or if Thorne feels threatened, she won’t hesitate to shut me down. Without Global’s resources, I won’t be able to help Carter.”

 

“I didn’t think you liked Jack,” Henry says quietly. “In fact, I assumed you wouldn’t miss him at all.”

 

Nathan takes a large bite of steak and chews slowly. Henry’s not the only one who can buy time. “I didn’t think I would,” he admits. “But Henry, if Jack hadn’t shut the time loop down manually, it would have been me. Jack said he trusted me to solve the problem if things went wrong.”

 

“That’s a lot of responsibility,” Henry comments quietly.

 

Nathan shrugs. “What else am I supposed to do?”

 

“All right,” Henry says, pushing his plate away. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

 

Nathan finishes his meal while Henry goes over the data from Carter’s disappearance and Nathan’s subsequent simulations piece by piece. Nathan hasn’t spent much time with Henry since his release from prison. Allison had been the one to ask Henry to perform their marriage; Nathan hasn’t known what to say to him.

 

Henry finally looks up from his perusal. “You’ve been thorough.”

 

“I’m still missing something,” Nathan admits. “I just—I can’t figure out what it is.”

 

“Why was Jack the only one unaffected by the time loop?” Henry asks.

 

Nathan has wondered the same thing himself, and he points out a section. “Jack was exposed to ultra-indigo light before Weinbrenner started the loops, but I haven’t quite figured out how the two fit together, or how I can leverage that to get Carter back.”

 

Nathan stiffens when Zoe slides a beer next to his elbow and puts a matching glass in front of Henry. “You guys looked like you could use a drink,” she says. “It’s on the house.”

 

He sees her eyeing the printouts and tablets in front of them, and Nathan has a flash of insight that she’d probably like to know just how his research is coming. Zoe is seventeen, a year older than Nathan was when he’d started college, and he thinks this might be a chance for him to check in on her.

 

He exchanges a look with Henry, who raises his eyebrows and shrugs.

 

“Do you want to see what we’re doing?” Nathan asks.

 

“Let me see if I can take a break,” Zoe replies, sounding eager.

 

She’s back a few seconds later, dragging a chair over to sit on the end of the booth. “Vincent said I could end my shift early.”

 

Nathan explains the situation to Zoe mostly out of pity. He doesn’t have Henry’s flair for teaching, and he doesn’t expect to enjoy filling Zoe in on what he’s been doing for the last week. Nathan expects Zoe to slow them down, to prevent real work being done. Oddly enough, he finds that walking Zoe through the problem also clarifies it in his own mind. By the time he’s brought Zoe up to speed—albeit in relatively simplistic terms—Nathan actually has a few ideas about where to go next.

 

“So, it was exposure to the ultra-indigo light that made my dad immune to the time loop,” Zoe says after a brief pause.

 

Nathan slakes his thirst with the beer Zoe had brought by. “That’s what it looks like.”

 

“Can we use that to bring him back?” Zoe asks.

 

Nathan frowns. The ultra-indigo light might have kept Carter from being reset with the rest of the town, but he can’t see how it would help him rematerialize. “I don’t think—”

 

Henry holds up a hand to stop him. “What are you thinking, Zoe?”

 

“I don’t know enough about particle physics to help you bring him back,” she admits. “But maybe you can use the ultra-indigo light to—I don’t know—gather him up? If he’s demolecularized, how are you going to make sure he—you know, materializes?”

 

It’s not a question that Nathan has considered, mostly because he’s been too intent on how to bring Carter back from the dead, but Zoe has a good point. Weinbrenner had been fried, but Carter had simply—dissolved. Even if Nathan figures out how to get Carter back in sync with the current time, he’ll have to do something to ensure that Carter doesn’t come back in pieces.

 

Zoe has just handed him one key to the puzzle.

 

“Which physics class are you taking right now?” Nathan asks.

 

She shrugs. “Advanced Physics, but I’m thinking of dropping it. I just—with everything that’s been going on, I don’t think I can keep up. I know Dad would want me to, but…” She trails off, her cheeks flushed, her fingers shredding one of the napkins on the table.

 

Nathan shares another look with Henry, and this time Nathan is the one who nods. “Zoe,” Henry begins gently. “If you want to stay in Advanced Physics, Nathan and I will get you through it. But if you need to drop out, I’d be happy to talk to your teacher.”

 

Zoe throws Henry a quick, grateful look. “Thanks. I don’t know what I want to do. Dad…” She blinks rapidly, clearly fighting for control of her emotions, and Nathan is torn. He had promised Carter that he’d look out for her, but what does he know of teenage girls?

 

Nothing. He knows nothing, and even though Henry’s taught a variety of students over the last few decades, Nathan isn’t sure that he knows much more.

 

“Why don’t you come to Global tomorrow?” Nathan finds himself suggesting before he can really weigh his words. “If you have homework, I can look at it, and you can see what I’m working on to get your dad back.”

 

Henry gives him an approving smile, and Nathan is warmed by it, even though he doesn’t know that he should be. Nathan keeps thinking about the promise he’d made to Carter, and how much emptier his days feel without the sheriff around to irritate him, and how he kind of likes Zoe. She’s got some fire to her, and she’s obviously a bright kid. It won’t be a hardship to keep her apprised.

 

The door to Café Diem opens, and Zoe glances up as Lupo walks in. “I should go talk to Jo,” she announces. “I work Saturday mornings, but I could come by around noon, if that’s okay.”

 

“That’s fine,” he replies, thinking of the promise Allison had extorted.

 

Nathan cranes his neck to watch Lupo give Zoe a brief, hard hug, and then they walk over to the counter, Lupo’s arm still over Zoe’s shoulders, Zoe’s arm around Lupo’s waist.

 

“They’ve gotten closer this last week,” Henry observes quietly. “Zoe’s about the only person Jo is willing to lean on, and I think the opposite is true, too.”

 

“Zoe has her aunt,” Nathan protests.

 

Henry shrugs. “Don’t get me wrong, I like Jack’s sister quite a bit, but she didn’t know Jack the way Zoe and Jo did.” Henry takes a breath. “The way they _do_.”

 

Nathan focuses on the problem at hand. He’s never been terribly good at expressing his emotions, and he has an even harder time of it where Carter is involved. He has a job to do—to bring Carter back. That’s the only thing he wants to think about right now.

 

~~~~~

 

Nathan is tired enough that night to fall into bed and go to sleep immediately, and although he sleeps deeply, his dreams are fractured and chaotic. He doesn’t remember the details when he wakes up, but he’s left with a deep sense of uneasiness.

 

Breakfast is a cup of coffee and not much more, and he dresses casually. There are fewer people around on the weekends, and he doesn’t feel the need to keep up appearances.

 

Zoe arrives precisely at noon, carrying a couple of take-out containers from Café Diem. In the brighter light of his lab, Nathan can see the dark circles under her eyes.

 

“What’s this?” Nathan asks, motioning to the food.

 

She manages a smile. “It’s hard to work on an empty stomach. That’s what my dad always says, anyway.”

 

“It’s true,” Nathan admits, even though he tends to ignore his body’s needs when he’s in the middle of a problem.

 

“Have you made any more progress?” Zoe asks, her expression hopeful.

 

Nathan hates to disappoint her, but he has to admit that he hasn’t. “I’m probably slowing you down,” Zoe says regretfully.

 

“You’re not,” he assures her. “I had hit a bit of a roadblock last night, but explaining the process has given me an idea of where to go next.”

 

Zoe eyes him dubiously. “Seriously?”

 

“I wouldn’t lie to you, not about this.”

 

She nods. “Okay. You’ll let me know if I’m holding you back, though, right?”

 

“You’ll be the first to know,” he promises. “Did you bring your Advanced Physics homework? We can work on that while we eat.”

 

Zoe gives him a long, steady look. “You’re really okay with this?”

 

“I made your dad a promise,” he replies.

 

“Okay,” she says slowly. “Is Henry still planning to come by?”

 

“He should be here in another hour or so.”

 

Nathan has never held any illusions about having a calling as a teacher. Henry teaches as easily as he breathes, and Nathan had learned a lot from him. But Zoe is clever enough that Nathan doesn’t feel as though he’s hanging onto his patience by his fingernails, and she’s old enough that she appreciates being treated like an adult.

 

Physics is something Nathan can do while half-asleep, but he hasn’t given much thought to the basic principles in years. He’s feeling his way through with Zoe, dredging up memories of classes he’d taken his first year of college. By the time Henry appears, Nathan has walked Zoe through the basics of particle displacement.

 

“Looks like you’re making progress,” Henry says. “I can take over if you want, Nathan.”

 

They spend a surprisingly companionable afternoon with Henry alternating between helping Zoe with her homework and brainstorming possible solutions with Nathan.

 

Nathan knows that his task has been made considerably more difficult by the sheer impossibility of creating a time loop in the first place. Weinbrenner had been working alone, and he’d been an expert in his field, which meant that Nathan had to figure out what Weinbrenner had been attempting to do in the first place, why his experiment had produced the results it had, and why Jack had essentially dematerialized before Nathan’s eyes.

 

It’s a steep learning curve, even for Nathan, and he hasn’t been able to make as much progress as he’d like.

 

Zoe packs up and leaves around dinnertime. When he’s certain they’re alone, Nathan prompts Henry, “We need to talk about Thorne, and what Carter said.”

 

Henry nods, then glances up at the camera in one corner of the room.

 

Nathan smiles. “We don’t need to worry about that.”

 

Henry’s eyebrows go up. “If Thorne finds out you messed with the internal cameras, there’s going to be hell to pay.”

 

“I’ve covered my tracks,” Nathan assures him. “I’m fully aware that Thorne could pull the plug on this research before I’m satisfied that I’ve done all I can.”

 

“When _will_ you be satisfied?” Henry queries softly.

 

Nathan shrugs. “When I’ve got Carter back. He said Thorne was up to something, and she’s dragging you into it. He said, ‘Something about berry-genic radiation.’”

 

Henry laughs, although his expression is tinged with sorrow. “Thorne had me do a survey on some land near town that had traces of baryogenic radiation.”

 

“That’s purely theoretical,” Nathan objects.

 

“So were time loops until a week ago,” Henry points out.

 

Nathan has to admit that Henry has a point. “Fair enough. What do you think she wants with it?”

 

“I don’t know, but I’m not sure I’m the person she’ll approach in the future,” Henry replies. “I’d keep an eye on Zane.”

 

“Already done,” Nathan promises. “Thorne likes him.”

 

“Zane is smart enough to brown nose when he needs to,” Henry says. “And he’s a good fit for the consumer products lab.”

 

“He is,” Nathan admits. “But I’ll be keeping an eye on him.”

 

Henry nods. “What about you, Nathan? How are you doing?”

 

Nathan shrugs. “I’m not the one you should be worrying about.”

 

“And you and Allison?”

 

“We work better as friends,” Nathan insists.

 

Henry snorts. “Nathan…”

 

“When Jack sacrificed himself, he said that I’d be the one most likely to fix whatever problem came up,” Nathan confesses. “And he made me promise to look after Zoe.”

 

“So, it’s ‘Jack’ now, huh?”

 

Nathan winces, suddenly realizing that Henry is right. He’s started to think of the sheriff as “Jack” instead of “Carter,” and he doesn’t like what that indicates. “Henry…”

 

Henry chuckles and shakes his head. “I thought you two might get along if you could ever stop fighting, but I hadn’t expected it to happen after one of you was dead.”

 

“The town feels emptier without him.” Nathan feels as though the confession is ripped from him.

 

Henry claps Nathan on the shoulder. “You’re just now figuring that out?”

 

“Sometimes I’m a little slow on the uptake,” Nathan admits.

 

Henry chuckles. “Do you want to talk about it?”

 

“Not really, no.” Nathan manages a smile. “Do you want to work on this a little more?”

 

“Yeah, let’s see what else we can do tonight,” Henry replies.

 

~~~~~

 

Nathan has every intention of keeping an eye on Thorne, but he has his hands full keeping up with his regular duties as Director of Research and getting Jack back. He only comes up for air when Allison forcibly pulls him out of his lab to deal with the mummifications.

 

Only in Eureka, Nathan thinks almost fondly.

 

Nathan sticks Fargo on researching the mummies, and then spends most of his time dodging Thorne and her enthusiasm. He doesn’t give a rat’s ass about ancient history; he has too many things taking up his present.

 

The bugs are an unpleasant surprise, as is Lexi’s strange music, but sometimes a person has to fight fire with fire. Nathan checks in with Zoe after he hears about Vincent freezing the bugs at Café Diem.

 

“You sure you’re okay?” he asks, leaning against the counter.

 

Zoe shrugs. “Mummies, swarms of bugs—just another day in Eureka, right?” Her words mirror his earlier thoughts, and he grins. “What about your project? Any progress?”

 

“Not much, sorry. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take me, Zoe.”

 

She nods. “Thanks for trying. I feel like everybody else has given up.”

 

Nathan doesn’t point out that just about everyone else _has_ given up; he just says, “I won’t.”

 

“I noticed.”

 

“If you want to stop by some night this week, or next weekend, I can show you what I’ve got,” Nathan offers.

 

Zoe smiles and says, “Thursday?”

 

“That works.”

 

“Zoe!” Lexi bustles over, and Nathan slips away. Jack’s sister rubs him the wrong way, and he prefers to avoid her when he can.

 

Nathan burns the candle at both ends over the next few days, wanting to have something for Zoe when she comes by. He still feels as though he’s missing an essential piece of the puzzle, but he has no idea what it might be.

 

Zoe turns up late Thursday afternoon with a backpack. “Homework?”

 

“Advanced Physics again,” she admits. “I’m heading over to Henry’s garage after this.”

 

“I won’t keep you too long, then. Your dad will kick my ass when he comes back to find I’ve interfered with your schoolwork.”

 

Zoe laughs. “Thanks for that.”

 

He looks at her, surprised. “For what?”

 

“For believing that my dad’s coming back.” She quickly changes the subject, and Nathan is grateful for it. He’s not much good with emotional displays, and it feels as though they were dangerously close to one.

 

Allison appears around 8 and gives Zoe a quick hug. “How are you, Zoe?”

 

Zoe shrugs and smiles. “I’m hanging in there. I should probably head over to Henry’s.”

 

“Advanced Physics?” Allison asks sympathetically.

 

“Yeah, something like that. Thanks for letting me stop by, Dr. Stark,” she says.

 

“It’s no trouble,” Nathan assures her. “And you can call me Nathan.”

 

Zoe bobs her head. “Nathan, then. See you.”

 

Nathan catches Allison’s disapproving expression after Zoe leaves. “Don’t say it,” he warns.

 

“I just don’t think you should give her false hope, Nathan.”

 

Nathan takes in a deep breath. “It’s not false hope, Allie. I’ve been honest with Zoe from the beginning. She knows I might not be able to get Carter back, but she also knows I’m trying.”

 

Allison shakes her head. “Just because she knows you might not be successful doesn’t mean she understands that. I’m worried about what will happen when you try and fail.”

 

“I’m not going to fail,” Nathan insists.

 

Allison stares at him wonderingly. “This is really _that_ important to you.”

 

“It is,” Nathan agrees.

 

Allison touches his cheek. “Okay, then. I’ll do everything I can to help.”

 

~~~~~

 

Nathan hears that Zane is helping Thorne by sheer chance. He stops by Zane’s consumer products lab to check discuss a request for some rather sensitive materials. Zane isn’t there, and when Nathan asks, he’s told that Zane is working on a special project for Thorne.

 

It seems as though Henry was right.

 

He waits until he’s sure Thorne is gone for the day, and Zane is back in his lab—Nathan has far more control over the security cameras than he’ll ever admit—and then he heads down to have a chat.

 

Nathan has spent years perfecting the art of intimidation, but Zane doesn’t intimidate easily. He glances up when Nathan enters the lab with an offhand, “Hi, Dr. Stark. What can I do for you?”

 

Nathan doesn’t respond; he just looms, waiting for Zane to transfer his attention from the computer in front of him.

 

Looming seems to work. Zane shoves back from his lab bench, the wheels on the padded stool rattling. “I think I know why you’re here,” he says.

 

“My lab,” Nathan replies. “I need to talk to you about a requisition you made.”

 

Zane shrugs. “Of course.”

 

When they arrive in Nathan’s lab, he reroutes the security cameras with a few keystrokes. He’s not going to take any chances.

 

“Slick,” Zane comments.

 

“I can be careful when it suits me,” Nathan admits.

 

Zane sighs. “Before you ask, Thorne asked me to come up with a way to gain entrance to an bunker that’s underneath Eureka.”

 

“And you weren’t worried?”

 

“Hey, she’s the boss,” Zane replies, raising his hands in a warding gesture. “I just do what I’m told. And I like puzzles,” he adds.

 

Nathan nods slowly. “Does this have anything to do with the baryogenic radiation that Henry found?”

 

“I wouldn’t know,” Zane replies. “I’m going to look for another entrance tomorrow, since I didn’t have enough time today. You want me to let you know what I find?”

 

“Please,” Nathan says politely. “Carter asked me to keep an eye on her. This is me keeping an eye on her.”

 

Zane’s gaze sharpens. “Is it true that you’re trying to get Sheriff Carter back?”

 

“I’m _going_ to get him back.” Nathan hopes that his confidence isn’t misplaced.

 

Zane nods. “Jo will be happy if you do, and anything that makes Jo happy makes me happy, too.”

 

“I thought Lupo wanted to be sheriff,” Nathan replies. He would have been surprised if Jo _hadn’t_ wanted the job; she doesn’t strike him as lacking ambition.

 

Zane shrugs, looking away. “Not like that. Nobody wanted it to be like that.”

 

“No,” Nathan says. “No one did.”

 

“I’ll keep you in the loop,” Zane promises.

 

Nathan turns the cameras back on with a quick movement. “I wanted to talk to you about the requisition for the T-467. You asked for two; I can give you one unless you can justify the expense.”

 

Zane offers a sharp, quick nod, letting Nathan know that he understands, that he knows the game they’re playing. “I can do that.”

 

~~~~~

 

Nathan is in the middle of something when his cell phone rings. He nearly ignores the call, but Zoe’s name is on the screen, and Nathan _had_ told her she should call if she needed anything. Zoe isn’t one to abuse that offer.

 

“What’s going on, Zoe?” he asks.

 

“There’s a wall that just opened up in the basement of Tesla,” Zoe replies. “I called Jo, but she’s not answering her phone.”

 

“Stay put,” Nathan orders. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

 

No one tries to stop Nathan as he walks into the high school. The woman at the front desk waves and greets him by name. “Can I help you with anything, Dr. Stark?” she calls.

 

“No, thank you,” he calls, not slowing down. Zoe had given him brief instructions, and Nathan had been in the school often enough to find his way.

 

Zoe stands in front of an opening in the wall with two other kids her age—a girl and a boy. “Pilar said it just opened up.”

 

The other girl—Pilar, Nathan assumes—nods quickly. “I didn’t do anything.”

 

“No one is saying you did,” Nathan replies absently. He’s momentarily torn between exploring the tunnel and declaring the area off limits. He suspects that this has something to do with the underground bunker that Thorne has asked Zane to look into, and he thinks that this may be his chance to get a step ahead of her.

 

“Don’t you three have classes?” Nathan asks.

 

Pilar straightens. “Um, I do. I’ll just, uh, go. Nice to meet you, Dr. Stark.”

 

“You too, Pilar,” Nathan murmurs, fixing the boy with a look.

 

“Uh, Zoe?” the boy begins. “We should probably get to class.”

 

“I’ll be right behind you, Lucas,” Zoe says firmly.

 

Lucas hesitates, but turns tail after another long moment of silence.

 

“You know, I think you’re even more intimidating than my dad,” Zoe says, breaking the silence that has fallen.

 

Nathan smiles, taking the compliment. “I’ve probably worked harder on it than your father has.”

 

“Probably,” Zoe admits. “I’m going with you.”

 

“Zoe—”

 

“I _am_ ,” she insists. “If you go without me, I’ll just follow you.”

 

Nathan sees the truth of that statement in her eyes, and he knows that she’ll be safer without him. If he had handcuffs, or some other way of making her stay put, he’d use it, but that’s not a possibility.

 

“Is there any chalk around here?” he asks. “Or a marker?”

 

Zoe darts off, and Nathan sends a quick text message to Allison and Henry. At least that way, if something happens, _someone_ will know where he is, and what he’s doing.

 

He tucks the phone back in his pocket and tries not to think about how pissed off they’re both going to be.

 

“Got one,” Zoe says, holding up a dry erase marker.

 

Nathan nods. “Good. We’ll mark the walls at intervals so we can find our way back. Stay close.”

 

“Promise,” Zoe says.

 

For the most part, the tunnels are deserted, although he and Zoe can both hear movement. “Rats or bats?” Zoe asks at one point.

 

“Rats, probably,” Nathan says, peering down one hallway. He really should have taken the time to grab a flashlight. He doesn’t feel comfortable going down any corridor that remains unlit by the emergency lighting. Realizing that his words weren’t comforting, he turns to flash a grin at Zoe. “I’ll protect you.”

 

“Oh, that’s _so_ reassuring,” she mutters.

 

For a moment, Zoe reminds him so much of her father that Nathan’s heart skips a beat. He ignores his response, pushing aside the emotion that rises up.

 

“I would hope so,” Nathan replies.

 

He’s gratified to notice that she stays a little closer after that, though.

 

They run into Zane in what looks like the main control room, and they briefly discuss how they’re going to handle Thorne. Zane suggests that they not tell her about the entrance under the school; he can go back the way he came.

 

“I think that might be for the best,” Nathan agrees. “But I’d like to do a more thorough exploration of this facility.”

 

“Yeah, I’d agree,” Zane replies, throwing an anxious look towards Zoe.

 

Even though Zane is attempting to be subtle, Zoe catches it. “Oh, I’m not leaving. Not now.”

 

“If something happens to you, Jo is going to kill me,” Zane replies.

 

“Well, I’m not going back by myself,” Zoe insists. “Nathan said to stick close to him, so I am.”

 

Nathan already knows that it’s futile to argue with her. “All right, but let’s make this quick. No one wants to get stuck here.”

 

Zane is well prepared, Nathan notes. He has an extra power source and an extra flashlight. They stick together by Nathan’s decree, carefully exploring the corridors off the main control room.

 

When they find the bodies, Nathan hears Zoe gasp behind him, and he hears her take a couple of quick steps back, and a thump as she falls.

 

“Are you okay?” Nathan asks, turning to look at her.

 

“I’m fine,” Zoe says. “I just slipped. I wasn’t expecting—you know.” Her eyes go to the bodies, and Nathan and Zane both reach down to pull her up.

 

“Don’t look,” Nathan orders. “You don’t need to see that.”

 

“Too late,” she murmurs, wincing as she puts her weight down on her right foot. “I think I might have twisted my ankle.”

 

“Let’s get out of here,” Nathan says. “We’ll get Zoe to the infirmary and call Lupo about the dead bodies.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Zane agrees fervently.

 

The trip to the surface is made without incident, something for which Nathan is grateful. There’s no way he wants to face Jack’s wrath if he finds out that Nathan had been responsible for Zoe getting hurt—or worse.

 

Zane takes care of calling Lupo while Nathan drives Zoe to the GD infirmary. Her ankle is sprained, not broken, and he’s relieved that Zoe’s injury is relatively minor. Lexi arrives shortly after the doctor has pronounced her diagnosis, and Nathan retreats immediately.

 

He’s expecting Thorne’s arrival, so it’s no surprise when she stalks into Nathan’s lab. “You have no idea what you’re messing with here, Dr. Stark.”

 

Nathan smiles. He’s spoiling for a good fight. “There were dead bodies in that bunker, Ms. Thorne. That makes it a crime scene. And it would be against regulations _not_ to report it.”

 

“You had no right to go into that bunker!” Thorne hisses. “It’s classified.”

 

Nathan offers a thin smile. “A door opened into the basement of Tesla High School. Any student who saw it could have wandered in and been injured. And you have yet to give me a reason why I _shouldn’t_ have reported it, other than it pissed you off.”

 

She glares at him, and then turns on her heel and stalks out. Nathan isn’t quite sure what just happened, and he wonders briefly what Jack might have said, how he might have responded if he’d been around. Jack probably would have pressed harder, worked harder to get at the answers, but Nathan has a few other things on his mind.

 

He doesn’t have time to solve the mystery that Thorne presents.

 

Allison appears in his office a few hours later. “Eva Thorne has disappeared,” she says.

 

Nathan blinks. He hadn’t quite expected that news. “Really?”

 

“Henry says that the bodies have been underground for 70 years, so we know that Thorne didn’t murder them. Right now, we have no idea what made her run.”

 

Nathan considers the news for a moment and then shrugs. “Forgive me for being so cold, but I don’t see what that has to do with me.”

 

“Well, for one, General Mansfield has decided that whatever her motivations, he liked Thorne’s changes around here. We’ll remain co-heads of Global Dynamics.”

 

Nathan snorts. “And who gets final say?”

 

Allison smiles. “He said that he hoped we were both mature enough to find a compromise, and that he thought our ‘different management techniques would result in a happy medium.’”

 

Nathan can tell that she’s quoting. “Well, we’ve managed so far.”

 

“What happened down there today, Nathan?” Allison asks. “Zoe shouldn’t have been with you.”

 

“What was I supposed to do?” Nathan asks. “She said she was going to follow me, and I don’t carry handcuffs.”

 

Allison laughs. “Good point.”

 

“I thought she’d be safer with me,” Nathan says finally.

 

“You like her,” Allison says.

 

Nathan shrugs. “What’s not to like?”

 

“Don’t work too late tonight,” Allison says finally.

 

“I’ll do my best.” The lie leaves his lips easily. He’s been set back a bit today, and he’ll have to work a few extra hours tonight to accomplish everything he’d intended to do, but Nathan doesn’t mind too much.

 

At least Thorne is out of his hair. Nathan thinks that might make the situation a little easier.

 

~~~~~

 

The next few weeks fly by. Nathan doesn’t have it in him to let any of his other projects slide, so he continues to work long days at Global, while dedicating his nights to bringing Jack back.

 

He’s _still_ missing something, and at this point, Nathan’s pride won’t allow him to give up. Even if he hadn’t promised, even if he hadn’t wanted to bring Jack back for Zoe’s sake, he would still continue forging ahead.

 

Once in a while, Zoe or Henry or Allison manages to coax him into dinner at Café Diem, although it happens more often than Nathan would like. He consoles himself with the thought that Allison won’t leave him alone until he agrees to join her, Henry helps Nathan clarify his thoughts, and Zoe—

 

Well, Nathan has grown attached to Zoe. She’s bright and sarcastic and funny, and she reminds him of Jack.

 

That’s as far as Nathan will allow that line of thinking to go. He doesn’t want to admit to how much he misses the sheriff.

 

He’s having dinner at Café Diem one evening with Allison when she says, “You know, when this first started, I thought I was going to lose you.”

 

Nathan frowns uncertainly. “What do you mean?”

 

“You’ve been obsessed with projects before, Nathan,” she points out. “I thought that this was going to be the same thing.”

 

“And it’s not.”

 

“No, it’s not,” Allison replies. “If anything, you’re more connected to the town. You spend more time with Henry than you did before, and you’re attached to Zoe. You still have dinner with me. You’re friendly with Zane and Jo.”

 

Nathan stares at his water glass for a long moment. He has no idea how to reply, but he finally says, “It just seems like the right thing to do.”

 

Allison nods. “I see.”

 

He doesn’t think that Allison _does_ see, but he’s unwilling to argue with her when he doesn’t really understand the impulse himself. Instead, he finishes his dinner and then goes back to the lab, where he works until late, and then heads home, falls into bed, and wakes up to do it all over again.

 

Zoe stops by a couple of nights later, wearing an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Nathan,” she says. “But I have a midterm, and Henry is busy with mayoral stuff, and…”

 

“Come in,” he replies warmly. “I’m happy to help.”

 

He’s been running up against a wall the last couple of days, with no idea of what his next step should be. Nathan is happy for the distraction that Zoe provides.

 

She’s come a long way, and Nathan doesn’t feel like he has to work hard at all to walk Zoe through the information.

 

“I didn’t get physics before,” she says suddenly.

 

Nathan frowns. “You’ve always understood the material.”

 

“No, I mean—” She hesitates. “Dad was the one who wanted me to take the class. I didn’t see the point, because I didn’t want to be a physicist.”

 

“And now?” Nathan prompts.

 

Zoe shrugs, her mouth twisting in a wry smile. “I still want to be a doctor, but I understand why you love physics. It’s kind of beautiful.”

 

Nathan feels a surge of pride, and he suddenly understands why Henry loves to teach. To do this—to pass on the passion he feels—gives him a different kind of satisfaction than the rest of his work engenders. “It is,” he agrees, and refocuses his attention on Zoe’s homework.

 

It hits him a few moments later. He’s been missing a key component this whole time, and it had been right in front of Nathan’s face, built into Zoe’s lessons on basic principles.

 

“What’s wrong?” she asks urgently.

 

Nathan shakes his head. “Nothing is wrong.”

 

“You—you figured something out,” she says, reading Nathan like a book.

 

He hesitates, knowing that he should tell her that he finally put the pieces together, but feeling a fierce wave of protectiveness, too. What if he’s wrong? Nathan thinks. What if he can’t save Jack?

 

“I don’t know,” he finally says. “Maybe.”

 

Zoe nods. “Okay. I think I’ve got this. I should probably get going anyway.”

 

“You’re going to do fine,” Nathan insists.

 

Zoe smiles at him. “Thanks. Good luck,” she adds softly.

 

Nathan leaves a note that he’s not to be disturbed immediately after Zoe leaves, and he begins to work, running one simulation after another. As much as he wants Jack returned—too much—he’s not willing to risk blowing up the town without something to show for it.

 

It’s after 3 am when Nathan finally has conclusive results, even by his exacting standards. For a moment, he considers going home, getting a few hours of sleep, and then performing the actual test, but he quickly discards that idea, swiftly setting up the safety protocols.

 

If this works, there will be plenty of time to tell everyone that he’s been successful, Nathan thinks. And if he fails, no one has to be the wiser.

 

With the press of a button, Nathan starts up the ultra-indigo light and begins the sequence that will hopefully bring Jack back from wherever the hell he is.

 

The light flashes bright for a split second, and when Nathan’s vision clears, he sees Jack behind the clear plastic shielding.

 

Jack slumps, his eyes wide and unseeing, and Nathan fumbles open the door. Jack is as bruised and battered as he was the day he dematerialized, and Nathan keeps his touch gentle as he helps Jack out. “Let me call the infirmary,” Nathan murmurs.

 

“Did we fix it?” Jack demands urgently, rousing himself. “Where’s Fargo?”

 

“We fixed it,” Nathan assures him. “ _You_ fixed it.”

 

Nathan watches as Jack’s eyes widen, and he figures that Jack has realized that Nathan is wearing different clothing, that Fargo isn’t around, that the equipment in the lab has changed. “How long?” Jack asks, grabbing the front of Nathan’s jacket like a lifeline. “ _How long_?”

 

“Two months,” Nathan says, startled to realize that he knows the answer. “Two months, one week, and three days.”

 

Jack collapses, unconscious, and Nathan reaches for his phone to call the infirmary.

 

He’ll call Zoe next, but right now, he needs to take care of Jack.


	3. Finding

The doctors flutter around Jack, their expressions amazed, but not anxious. Nathan tunes them out while he dials Zoe’s number.

 

“Hello?” Her voice is sleepy and a little hoarse.

 

“It’s me,” he says. “I got him back, Zoe. He’s in the infirmary.”

 

“How is he?” she demands, suddenly awake.

 

Nathan takes a deep breath. “Fine. He’s a little battered, like he was before he disappeared. The doctors aren’t worried, though.”

 

“Okay,” Zoe breathes. “Okay. I need to tell Aunt Lexi. I’ll be there—I’ll be there soon.”

 

Nathan takes up a position where he can see what’s going on while staying out of the doctors’ way before he calls Allison. He has to call Henry and Lupo, too, but he’ll let them inform the rest of the town. He’s exhausted, the long hours from the last few weeks catching up to him in a rush.

 

“This is Dr. Blake.” Even half-asleep, Allison manages to sound as though she’s ready for anything.

 

“Allie, it’s me,” Nathan says. “Carter’s back.”

 

“You did it.” He hears the jubilation in her voice. “How are you?” she asks, and he wonders if she can read his mind over the distance.

 

He’s just so fucking _tired_ , and he’s not sure what’s going to happen now that Jack is back. Things will go back the way they were, probably, but he has no idea what that will look like.

 

“I’m exhausted,” he finally admits, because it’s Allison, and he can’t be bothered to lie to her at the moment. “Will you call Henry and Lupo?”

 

“I’ll take care of it,” she promises. “Go home and get some sleep, Nathan. You’ve earned it.”

 

Nathan may have earned it, but he’s hesitant to leave before Zoe arrives; he feels he owes it to her to be there.

 

The furor around Jack’s bed has died down a bit, and Nathan sidles over. Jack has his eyes closed, exhaustion writ large over his face. He’s bruised and battered, but he still looks good.

 

“Hey,” Jack says without opening his eyes.

 

“I called Zoe and Allison,” Nathan replies. “They’re on their way over.”

 

“Thanks,” Jack murmurs. “Although I don’t know if I can stay awake that long.”

 

“I’ll wait for them to get here.” Nathan shifts, feeling strangely awkward. “You should get some sleep.”

 

Jack’s eyes open—they’re so fucking _blue_ , and Nathan wonders how he managed to forget that fact. “Thanks.”

 

Nathan shrugs off his gratitude. “It was the least I could do for the guy who prevented the universe from being ripped apart.”

 

Jack gives him an odd look, and Nathan knows that he’s not keeping up his end of the bargain. They’re supposed to snipe and snark at each other. This would be the perfect opportunity for Nathan to say something about how Eureka had been so much better without Jack in it, or how it’s a trial to have Jack back.

 

And he can’t. Nathan can’t bring himself to say it, because he remembers all too well the quiet devastation on Henry’s face, Zoe’s grief, Allison’s hurt. Nathan now knows what Eureka would be like without Jack in it, and he didn’t much like it.

 

“Yeah, okay,” Jack says quietly, as though he’s settled something in his mind, and then he falls back into silence.

 

Nathan waits with him for Zoe to arrive, which she does in short order. She and Lexi both are dressed in sweats, their hair pulled back haphazardly, their faces scrubbed free of makeup. Clearly, they’d rushed to GD immediately after he’d called.

 

He meets her and Lexi by the infirmary doors, and is shocked when Zoe wraps her arms around him in a tight hug. “ _Thank you_ ,” she says in a low, urgent voice.

 

“You’re welcome,” he replies, and then Zoe is gone, hesitating only a moment before she reaches out to wrap Jack in a gentle hug, mindful of his bruises.

 

Nathan takes a deep breath. “Okay,” he says, mostly to himself. “That’s done.”

 

Later, when he’s had some sleep, and something other than coffee in his stomach, Nathan will think about what he can do with all the data he has. He’ll think about the possibility of another Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work on the time-space paradox. He’ll begin composing papers in his head.

 

But right now, Nathan can only feel the inevitable letdown that comes after he’s poured himself into one project for months at a time, only to have it end.

 

And Nathan can admit, if only in the privacy of his own mind, that he’s fallen for Jack _in absentia_. He has no idea whether his feelings will stand up to Jack’s daily presence.

 

~~~~~

 

When Nathan wakes the next day, he can tell that it’s late afternoon by the quality of the light filtering through his curtains. It looks like molten gold streaming through the counterpane, and Nathan lies there for a moment.

 

The worst of his exhaustion has passed, and now Nathan can focus on his accomplishment. He’s done the impossible; he’s brought a man back from the dead.

 

Nathan wanders downstairs in his boxers and checks his messages. There’s only one, from Allison, telling him to take the day off. “Good thing,” Nathan murmurs. He puts together a sketchy dinner from whatever he can find in his kitchen—there isn’t much—and drinks a glass of wine.

 

And then, he sleeps for another 12 hours straight. He’s just that tired.

 

By the time Nathan wakes up the next morning, he has half a dozen ideas for the first paper in his head. He takes notes while he grabs a cup of coffee and some dry toast, and quickly discards the idea of going to Café Diem for breakfast.

 

The news that Jack is back will be all over town by now, and Nathan isn’t in the mood to deal with the whispers and stares. Jack will handle coming back from the dead with his usual grace, but Nathan is rarely gracious.

 

When he walks through the lobby of Global Dynamics, Nathan knows that he made the right choice by not going to Café Diem. His already formidable reputation has undergone a boost: he’s now Dr. Nathan Stark, miracle worker, who can bring the dead back to life.

 

Nathan shuts himself in his office, focusing on the less-important things he’s let slide over the last few weeks. He’s stayed on top of his duties, relatively speaking. He’s no more behind now than he has been in the past while in the middle of a big, time-consuming project.

 

Fargo comes in and out a few times to bring Nathan paperwork and reports that need his signature. The first time he appears, Fargo says, “I heard you brought Sheriff Carter back from the dead.”

 

Nathan’s people-skills aren’t so bad that he can’t hear the reproach in Fargo’s voice. Nathan has leaned heavily on Fargo these last couple of months, and he knows that Fargo won’t be the first to ask—even obliquely—why Nathan hadn’t called someone else in to help him. Why he’d brought Jack back on his own.

 

“I had an epiphany,” Nathan replies dryly. “I couldn’t wait to try it out.”

 

Fargo’s mouth twists unhappily, but he doesn’t argue. “Well, good job, Dr. Stark.”

 

“Thank you, Fargo,” Nathan replies with finality.

 

Henry appears early in the afternoon. “So, I hear you’re to be congratulated.”

 

Nathan shrugs. “I suppose that would depend on how you feel about Carter.”

 

“Nathan…”

 

Henry’s voice holds a warning, and Nathan sighs. “I was helping Zoe with her homework when the solution hit me. I made sure I wouldn’t blow up the town, and then I gave it a shot. It worked. End of story.”

 

“I don’t have to tell you what this means,” Henry says.

 

Nathan lets out a long sigh. “I got Jack back. My research on this project might result in a second Nobel. I know what it means.”

 

“You don’t sound too happy about that,” Henry observes.

 

Nathan shrugs. “I’ll be happy when I’ve got a paper published. Until then, it’s just theory.”

 

Henry leans back in his chair. “Are you worried about how things will change from here on out?”

 

“Things are going back to normal,” Nathan shoots back. “Isn’t that what everyone wanted?”

 

“That’s not what I asked you,” Henry replies gently. “What are _you_ thinking, Nathan?”

 

“I’m thinking I’ll be just as glad not to be working 18 hour days,” Nathan replies. “I’ll be fine.”

 

Henry doesn’t seem convinced, but he doesn’t question Nathan further. “You’ll let me know if you need my help.”

 

“You’ll be the first to know,” Nathan promises.

 

He expects Allison to come by, but when he next looks up, it’s Jack standing there, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He’s leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, watching Nathan carefully.

 

“Hey,” Jack says when Nathan meets his eyes. “Allison said you slept all day yesterday.”

 

“Pretty much,” Nathan admits.

 

Jack straightens and saunters into Nathan’s office, lowering himself carefully into one of the chairs across from Nathan’s desk. “You know, I’ve been back about 24 hours, and I’ve lost track of the number of times Zoe has mentioned you.”

 

Nathan raises his eyebrows, not trusting himself to reply.

 

“And if Zoe’s not talking about you getting her through Advanced Physics and bringing me back, Allison is telling me about how hard you were working.”

 

Nathan shrugs. “I made a promise.”

 

“Uh, huh.” Jack doesn’t sound as though he believes it. “You didn’t have to help Zoe with her homework, or with the underground bunker thing.”

 

Nathan doesn’t like where this conversation is going. “I like your kid, Jack.”

 

Jack suddenly grins. “Yeah, I guess you do.”

 

Nathan realizes suddenly that he’s made a miscalculation, and that he’s given too much away. “ _Carter_ —”

 

“I owe you a drink,” Jack says, rising from his chair. “And dinner. Tonight?”

 

“I have a few things to do,” Nathan replies, trying to buy enough time to get his feet back under him, to regain his balance.

 

“Tomorrow, then,” Jack insists, and Nathan knows he won’t be able to put Jack off any longer than that.

 

“Tomorrow,” Nathan agrees with a sigh.

 

Jack grins. “Great. I’ll see you around 7.”

 

Nathan isn’t terribly pleased that he’s given in so easily, but he figures one dinner won’t hurt.  Knowing Jack, the sheriff won’t give up unless Nathan at least has dinner with him.

 

Nothing has changed, Nathan tells himself. For Jack, no time at all has passed. Jack is still in love with Allison, and he still hates Nathan. Nathan is still the Director of Research, and he has terrible interpersonal skills and would prefer to focus on research.

 

And if Nathan keeps telling himself as much, he might believe it.

 

~~~~~

 

Dinner with Jack comes sooner than Nathan would like. The whispers have died down a bit now that everyone has heard the news. Nathan is treated to stares and assessing looks, as though he might provide another miracle at a moment’s notice, but that’s about it.

 

Café Diem is hopping when Nathan arrives, and he suspects that Vincent is in his element. There has to be more gossip now than at practically any other time in his tenure in Eureka.

 

“Nathan!” Zoe appears before him with a bright smile. “Dad’s already here. He said you were meeting him for dinner.”

 

Nathan smiles. “Lead the way.”

 

Zoe weaves her way through the crowded restaurant to a table in the corner. Nathan gets the sense that Jack has been there for a while. He’s relaxed, his posture loose, with a half-empty glass of beer in front of him.

 

“Can I get you anything?” Zoe asks.

 

“I’ll take a beer,” Nathan replies. “Thanks, Zoe.”

 

“No problem!” she says cheerfully.

 

There’s a long pause where Nathan won’t quite meet Jack’s eyes. “How is it being back?” he finally asks, just to break the silence.

 

Jack shrugs. “It feels like I never left, literally. One minute, Fargo is counting down, and the next minute, I’m looking at you. Have I said thank you yet?”

 

“You have,” Nathan replies.

 

“It bears repeating,” Jack says.

 

Zoe appears with Nathan’s beer and a fresh glass for Jack, and then asks, “What do you guys want to eat?”

 

“I’ll have my usual,” Jack replies with a grin.

 

Zoe rolls her eyes. “Seriously, Dad, you should cut back on the red meat.”

 

“Aw, come on,” Jack coaxes her. “I haven’t had a burger in two months.”

 

Zoe shakes her head, but she doesn’t argue. “Nathan?”

 

“Whatever Vincent has on special would be good,” Nathan replies, not wanting to make a decision.

 

“Okay, great!” Zoe says brightly, squeezing Jack’s shoulder. “I’ll bring it out when it’s ready.” She leaves, but she glances back over her shoulder, as though to make sure that Jack’s still there.

 

“It was hard on her,” Nathan says suddenly. “It was hard on everybody, but it was hardest on Zoe.”

 

Jack’s usually expressive face gives nothing away. “And you did what you could to make it easier.”

 

“She’s a good kid,” Nathan says, measuring out each word. “It wasn’t a hardship.”

 

“You went above and beyond,” Jack insists, but they’re interrupted when the Baker twins appear next to their table, wearing identical grins.

 

“Sheriff Carter!” they say in unison.

 

That sets the tone for the rest of their meal. It seems that the entire town has heard that Sheriff Carter is back and is having dinner at Café Diem with Nathan. A few people offer their congratulations to Nathan, but they focus mainly on Jack, telling him how good it is to have him back.

 

During one of the brief breaks from company, Nathan asks, “How is your deputy doing with having you back?”

 

“She grumbled a bit, but I think she’s glad,” Jack replies with a smug smile. He adds a little more seriously, “She deserves to be sheriff, you know?”

 

“But she doesn’t want the job like that,” Nathan says, remembering what Zane had said to him.

 

“Yeah, about that, Jo gave me an update on Thorne.”

 

Jack’s description of Lupo’s investigation is cut short by the arrival of Dr. Young, who congratulates Nathan perfunctorily and then tells Jack how good it is to see him.

 

They don’t get another break after that; there’s an endless stream of people, all of them talking about how much they’ve missed the sheriff.

 

Nathan can’t help but wonder what people would have said of him if their positions had been reversed. He doesn’t think anyone in Eureka would have missed him nearly as much.

 

A few months ago, that probably wouldn’t have bothered Nathan, but right now, he feels a pang, although he can’t begin to say why.

 

So, he finishes his dinner and watches as Jack snatches bites of his burger and a couple of fries at a time. Nathan finishes eating long before Jack does, and he orders a brandy while Jack finishes up.

 

As soon as Jack finishes his meal, he tosses his napkin on the table. “You ready to get going?”

 

“I think I’ll walk home,” Nathan replies.

 

“I’ll walk with you,” Jack announces.

 

There’s no gracious way to decline, and while Nathan would have had no problem being rude three months ago, having Jack back still feels like a novelty. The memory of Jack being all but dead is too new for Nathan to willingly reject the offer of company.

 

“What were you saying about Lupo?” Nathan asks as a way to break the silence.

 

Jack shrugs. “Have you heard anything from the DOD about the bodies?”

 

Nathan thinks about pointing out that he’d been the first to ask, but he refrains. “No, and I don’t expect to. My guess is that the bodies were a result of an experiment gone wrong back when the bunker was first built, maybe in the late ‘30’s. The DOD is covering it up. It’s what they do.”

 

“I think I have something,” Jack replies with his typical enthusiasm. “After Thorne shut down the Eureka museum, and redacted a bunch of photos, Jo pulled some of the election photos that Fargo took of Vincent in Café Diem.”

 

“And?” Nathan says, sensing that Jack is waiting for his reaction.

 

“And it appears that Eva Thorne was here in 1939.”

 

Nathan blinks. “Wait. You mean that she was _born_ in 1939.”

 

“No, I mean she was _here_ ,” Jack responds with characteristic glee. “Either that, or she’s the spitting image of some relative we don’t know about. Jo had Zane check into Thorne’s background, though, and Eva Thorne didn’t exist 20 years ago.”

 

“How did she get through the background checks?” Nathan asks.

 

Jack shrugs. “I figure that’s the DOD’s problem, but my guess is that she had experience. What Jo and Zane _did_ discover is that there was a Mary Perkins here in 1939 who disappeared not too long afterwards.”

 

Nathan thinks about Thorne’s—or was it Perkins’—response to his digging, and he realizes that he’d cornered her. “She probably would have managed to bury the truth if Zoe hadn’t called me in to check out the bunker,” he muses.

 

“Then I guess we’re lucky Zoe did call you,” Jack replies. “You know, I keep hearing people say that this is going to win you another Nobel.”

 

“It might,” Nathan allows, “but that’s not why I did it.”

 

“Why did you?” Jack asks insistently. “Zoe and Allison both said you were working long hours—double the number you usually do. Why?”

 

“Because I had to,” Nathan replies honestly. “Because if it hadn’t been you, it would have been me, and I would have wanted someone to work on getting me back. Because I like Zoe, and she needs you. Hell, Jack, because the whole damn town needs you.”

 

Jack stares at him, his eyes wide and uncomprehending, and Nathan curses silently. “Forget it,” Nathan says roughly. He’s forgotten for a moment that even though it’s been two months for him, no time at all has passed for Jack.

 

As far as Jack is concerned, they’re both still in love with Allison, still vying for her attention and affection. He has no idea that Nathan has spent the last two months falling in love with him. Jack has no idea that Nathan’s desire, his sheer _need_ , threatens to override his common sense.

 

Jack has no idea of what the last few months have been like, and Nathan has no intention of filling him in.

 

“Are you okay?” Jack asks, reaching out hesitantly.

 

They’re in front of Nathan’s house now, and he’s grateful for the escape route it provides. “I’m fine,” Nathan insists. “I’m just tired.”

 

Jack takes a step back. “Of course. Sorry.”

 

And now Nathan feels guilty, because Jack seems curiously vulnerable at the moment. Nathan’s past jibes had always been met in kind, but Jack doesn’t seem capable of parrying Nathan’s thrusts, and Nathan still feels Jack’s absence far too clearly.

 

In a few days, Nathan will be used to having Jack around again, and he will be able to employ his standard operating procedure where Jack is concerned—annoy, insult, and poke. Their current détente won’t last long.

 

“It’s been a long day,” Nathan offers in explanation. “A long couple of months, actually.”

 

“Then you should get to bed,” Jack replies. “Thanks again.”

 

“It was my pleasure,” Nathan says honestly, and then he beats a strategic retreat into the safety of his house.

 

I don’t have to see Jack again any time soon, he tells himself. He’ll never have to know.

 

It won’t take long for him to bury his desire; Nathan has done it before, and he’ll do it again. He’ll take that energy and sublimate it into a couple of articles, and his work at Global Dynamics.

 

It won’t be a problem. _It won’t_.

 

~~~~~

 

Nathan really does have every intention of avoiding Jack until he has his emotions under control—or at the very least, until he can categorically dismiss how he feels about the man.

 

Circumstances keep throwing them together, however—the space ship, the android version of Kim Anderson, you name it, and Jack is there. _Right there_. It’s frustrating as hell, because Nathan hasn’t been able to gain any kind of distance.

 

He has no idea why it had been easier with Allison. Maybe because they had a failed relationship behind them, and Nathan knows just how ugly things can get.

 

Not that he blames her, of course. They had both been at fault; they had both chosen their careers and other people over each other. Nathan didn’t think they’d been wrong, just that they hadn’t been right for each other.

 

He’d wanted to make it work with Allison because he loved her, and because he thought they could do better the second time around.

 

Nathan honestly isn’t sure what would have happened if it weren’t for the time loop. He probably would have married Allison, and they both would have tried hard to make it work, because neither of them wanted to fail at the same thing twice.

 

He thinks that it might have been enough to build a marriage on—love and mutual attraction, and the desire to do the best for the citizens of Eureka. Nathan believes that they would have been okay.

 

But that option isn’t open to him any longer, and if he’s honest with himself, Nathan has idly wanted Jack since Callister’s death. Jack had been the only one to understand what Callister meant to him; even Allison hadn’t quite gotten it.

 

And now, Nathan keeps getting thrown together with Jack, forced to rely on the sheriff to solve one problem after another, and he’s a little sick of it. He’d like to make a move, just to put to rest any questions he might have as to whether he and Jack could work—there’s no way they would, Nathan thinks—but he’s not quite brave enough to attempt that experiment.

 

Of course, now that they’re trapped together, Nathan has no way of avoiding the sheriff.

 

Jack prowls the confines of the room, testing the door and looking longingly at the air ducts, which aren’t big enough to accommodate either of them. Nathan just sits in the corner, knowing that at some point Allison or Fargo will figure out where they’re at and let them out.

 

Since the power is out all over GD, and the emergency lights are on, Nathan has to assume that someone fucked up. It wouldn’t be the first time.

 

“You might as well sit down,” Nathan finally says after Carter makes his third circuit of the lab. “There’s nothing we can do from in here.”

 

“Why are you so calm?” Jack demands.

 

Nathan tips his head back against the wall. “Because there is literally nothing I can do, and someone will wonder where you are in fairly short order.”

 

“Okay, I think I might need to check your basement for pods,” Jack says out of the blue, sliding down the wall to sit next to Nathan.

 

Nathan’s eyebrows go up. “Pods?”

 

“Yeah, you know, pods, because you haven’t been yourself since I got back, and I’m beginning to wonder if you’ve been replaced.”

 

Nathan can’t help but smile at that. “No, the last I checked, there were no pods in the basement.”

 

“And what do you mean that someone would miss _me_?” Jack asks, twisting to face Nathan. “You’re the director of research.”

 

Nathan shakes his head. “They’ll miss me because there’s a problem to be fixed, but they’ll be worried about _you_ , especially after what happened.”

 

He keeps his expression blank and very carefully _doesn’t_ look at Jack. Jack’s proximity is having its typical effect, but Nathan isn’t about to admit to it.

 

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Jack says flatly.

 

“I’ve been busy,” Nathan corrects. “We’ve all been busy.”

 

“You haven’t been too busy to help Zoe with her physics.”

 

“I told you, I like your kid, and once I start a project, I finish it.”

 

“So I’ve seen,” Jack replies. “But you’ve still been avoiding me.”

 

Nathan shoots Jack an irritated look. “I’ve seen you every day, Jack!”

 

Jack grins at him, a touch of smugness in his eyes. “So, you’re using my first name now.”

 

Nathan thumps his head against the wall a couple of times. “Of all the people I had to get trapped with, why does it have to be _him_?” he asks aloud.

 

“Hey, I’m not a bad guy to get stuck with,” Jack protests, but he still wears a broad grin. “You know, there’s something I don’t understand.”

 

“Only one thing?” Nathan asks slyly.

 

Jack ignores the comment, clearly intent on his own purpose for the conversation. “You spend two months getting me back, and then you do your best to ignore me. If you hate me so much, why would you work so hard to get me back?”

 

“Because I wanted to do something nice for Zoe?” Nathan suggests. “I like her a lot more than I like you.”

 

“But then I got to thinking about why you might be avoiding me after all that,” Jack continues, ignoring Nathan. “And why you aren’t pursuing Allison anymore.”

 

“You’re the investigator,” Nathan mumbles, wishing Jack weren’t so perceptive.

 

“So, I have to assume that you _don’t_ hate me, but you don’t want me to know that,” Jack concludes.

 

The emergency lights dim, and the overhead lights turn back on. “Looks like we’re getting out of here,” Nathan announces, rising to his feet.

 

“Oh, we’re not done with this, not by a long shot,” Jack says, scrambling to his feet.

 

Half a dozen replies run through Nathan’s head, but he knows how stubborn Jack can be, and he thinks that it might be a good idea just to get this over with. He’ll give Jack some idea about how he feels, he’ll get shot down, and then Nathan will be able to move on. Maybe if he gets it off his chest, they can actually go back to the way things were before the time loop.

 

“Then what do you want to do about it, Jack?” Nathan asks tiredly.

 

“Have dinner with me tomorrow,” Jack urges. “My place at seven.”

 

Nathan shrugs, feeling a little reckless. “Why not?”

 

“Good. I’ll see you then,” Jack says, satisfaction clear in his voice.

 

And then the door slides open, and they both have to go back to work.

 

~~~~~

 

Nathan arrives at Jack’s place the next evening with a few minutes to spare. He’s come straight from work, from endless teleconferences with generals and other DOD officials, and he’s tired and frustrated and not a little bit angry. After the DOD found out that Thorne had been a fake, they’d begun a grand shake-up. Their screw-up had resulted in a lot of shit rolling downhill, and plenty of demands for those left in Eureka to explain why Thorne had gotten away with as much as she had.

 

Nathan has tried to let Allison take care of a lot of the discussions. He’s too prone to saying something that he _won’t_ regret, but that someone else would. Today, however, no one but him would do. Nathan is pissed off that he had to waste his time on pointless meetings, rather than getting real work done. It means he’ll probably have to put in another few hours tonight, and maybe a full weekend, too.

 

The door of the bunker swings open, and Nathan enters to see Zoe hitching her backpack on her shoulder. “Nathan, hey!” she says with a welcoming grin. “I got an A on that physics test.”

 

“Congratulations, Zoe,” he replies, a proud smile crossing his face. “I’ve been meaning to ask if you’d like the spot as my research assistant next semester. You’ll get class credit and your name on the article I’m working on.”

 

“Seriously?” Zoe asks, then asks, “Are you trying to lure me over to the dark side?”

 

Nathan grins. “Is it working?”

 

“Can I think about it and let you know?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Thanks, Nathan,” Zoe says. “Dad, I’m taking off now!”

 

“Be good!” Jack calls from the direction of the kitchen.

 

“I won’t do anything you wouldn’t have done at my age!” Zoe teases.

 

“Not good enough!” Jack replies, although he doesn’t sound too disturbed.

 

Zoe leaves, and Jack emerges from the kitchen. “Hey. Make yourself comfortable. Do you want a beer?”

 

“Yeah, thanks.” After a moment’s hesitation, Nathan removes his suit jacket and drapes it over the back of the couch, then loosens his tie and unbuttons the top button of his shirt. “So, what’s for dinner?” Nathan asks.

 

“We’re having Lamb Navarin,” SARAH replies primly.

 

“SARAH keeps insisting on coddling me,” Jack explains. “She doesn’t like the fact that I died.”

 

Nathan doesn’t much like that fact either; Jack can joke about it, but Nathan doesn’t think that anyone else will ever be able to laugh it off. “I don’t blame you, SARAH,” Nathan says, directing his words to the ceiling. He knows he should probably stay on SARAH’s good side if he’s going to be seeing more of Jack.

 

Not that he will, but Nathan likes to hedge his bets.

 

Jack rolls his eyes. “Traitor.”

 

“You don’t mess with a smart house,” Nathan shoots back. “I thought you’d know that by now.”

 

“Thank you, Dr. Stark,” SARAH says. “And may I say that it’s a pleasure to have you here this evening?”

 

Jack snorts and hands Nathan a beer. “SARAH, is dinner ready?”

 

“It’s ready whenever you are, Sheriff Carter.”

 

“All right,” Jack says. “Let’s eat. Have a seat, Nathan.” He brings the bowls of lamb stew to the table, sitting to Nathan’s left at the head of the table. There’s less space between them that way, and Jack’s knee bumps his under the table.

 

Nathan half-expects dinner to be awkward, or for Jack to start questioning him again regarding their aborted conversation from the previous day, but Jack instead launches into a story of arresting one of the scientists for indecent exposure.

 

Since Nathan has been in meetings all day, it’s the first he’s heard of it. “What the hell happened?” he asks, intrigued, in spite of his best intentions.

 

Jack shrugs and grins. “It turns out that he was testing a new chemical that he claims can make you invisible. He didn’t want to test it on his bare skin, so he put it on his clothing, and then when it didn’t work right away, he decided to get lunch at Café Diem.”

 

Nathan snorts. He can just imagine the furor that caused. “Did you get a lot of complaints?”

 

“A few from people who claimed he’d spoiled their lunches, but otherwise, folks seemed to take it in stride.” Jack shrugs. “You know, it’s Eureka.”

 

“How’s Henry doing?” Nathan asks, thinking of the android Kim, and Henry’s heartbreak.

 

Jack shakes his head. “He won’t talk about it. I know he’s hurting, but…” He trails off, leaning back in his chair to give Nathan a long look. “Maybe you should try asking.”

 

“Why me?” Nathan shoots back.

 

“Because you were the one who was here.” Nathan can’t quite read the expression on Jack’s normally open face. “It’s weird, you know, coming back.”

 

Nathan swallows, feeling as though they’re approaching dangerous territory. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

 

“It might have been two minutes for me, not two months,” Jack says. “And everybody’s been great, you know, happy to have me back, but their lives went on.”

 

“Mine didn’t.” The words are out of Nathan’s mouth before he can think better of them, before he realizes just what they reveal.

 

“I figured that out,” Jack replies. “You and Zoe—and Lexi—you were the ones who believed that I was coming back.”

 

Nathan suddenly feels the need to defend his faith—his obsession, Allison might call it—but he can’t. He could call it stubbornness, or survivor’s guilt, or even a desire to help Zoe, but none of those reasons are sufficient.

 

“I’ve been told I’m a stubborn son of a bitch,” Nathan finally offers.

 

Jack barks a laugh. “So I’ve seen.” He pulls in a deep breath. “I know Jo is happy to have me back, but she was doing the job of sheriff for two months without me. It’s been an adjustment. Henry hasn’t said much to me, and Allison—”

 

Jack stops, his lips pressing into a thin line, and Nathan realizes that this transition has been _hard_ for him. Like the coma patient who wakes up to find that the world has changed while he’s been asleep, Jack has been returned only to discover that the people around him have moved on with their lives.

 

Jack might be essential to certain people, but for the most part, the world had gotten by without him, and while Jack had seen how grateful people were to have him back, he hadn’t watched them mourn his passing. It makes a difference.

 

Nathan isn’t good at talking about anything to do with his emotions, but he feels he ought to offer Jack something. “And I was avoiding you,” he says.

 

“Yeah, you were, when you could get away with it,” Jack replies.

 

Nathan studies Jack’s face for a moment—the laugh lines around his eyes and mouth, the way his lips seem quirked in a perpetual smile. Jack is silent, although there’s a hint of a challenge in his eyes, and Nathan is suddenly tired of waiting.

 

He had two months to learn to live without Jack, and he couldn’t do it. It’s one of the reasons he hasn’t wanted to risk reaching for more.

 

Besides, Nathan doesn’t like to lose, and while he’s prepared to risk life and limb for scientific pursuit, he tends toward caution when his heart is involved.

 

Nathan leans across the small distance that separates them, puts a hand on Jack’s face, and presses his lips to Jack’s. Whatever Nathan’s intentions for the kiss might have been, they’re discarded almost immediately. Jack immediately deepens the kiss, pulling Nathan closer with a fistful of shirt, his other hand gripping the back of Nathan’s head, holding him in place.

 

The kiss moves from tentative to desperate and dirty, and Nathan groans as Jack pulls back. “SARAH, privacy mode,” Jack orders, his voice hoarse. He rises from his seat and pulls Nathan up with him. “Lexi left with Duncan a few days ago, and Zoe’s spending the night at Pilar’s, so we have the place to ourselves. Come on.”

 

Nathan hadn’t been expecting this reaction. “Where are we going?”

 

“Upstairs, or at least the couch,” Jack replies, a trace of impatience in his voice. “I’m not doing this at the table.”

 

Nathan can’t believe his good luck. “I didn’t think you’d be interested,” he says honestly, because this seems to be the time for it. The truth has gotten them this far, anyway.

 

Jack wears a strange expression, caught between wariness and longing, but he finally says, “I didn’t know that I would be interested until you started avoiding me.”

 

It’s enough of an answer for Nathan, who knows more than he’ll ever admit about wanting something he can’t have, and he reaches out and hauls Jack close again.

 

They stumble over to the couch, mouths clashing, hands everywhere, neither of them willing to let go even for a moment. Nathan pulls back just long enough to pull Jack’s t-shirt up and over his head. Jack pulls Nathan’s tie free and fumbles with the buttons of his dress shirt. Jack is endearingly uncoordinated, and Nathan pushes his hands away to do it himself, but he lets Jack take care of the cuffs as he pushes Nathan’s shirt off his shoulders.

 

Nathan can’t seem to get enough of the bare expanse of Jack’s chest, the tanned, smooth skin, the hard lines of his muscles. They’re both fighting to take the lead, but somehow that makes the wanting all the sweeter.

 

Jack manages some maneuver that has Nathan on his back on the couch, Jack sprawled out on top of him, their legs slotted together to give both of them much-needed friction.

 

They’re grasping at each other, grappling with each other, and Nathan is quickly losing control. “Wait, wait,” he gasps out.

 

Nathan feels Jack grin against his mouth, but Jack doesn’t let up, even for a moment, and Nathan’s orgasm rushes through him. Jack keeps thrusting, and then he throws his head back abandoning himself to his own pleasure, before collapsing on top of Nathan.

 

Nathan feels a laugh building, and he can’t hold it in. “I haven’t done that since I was a teenager,” he says.

 

“’s fun,” Jack mumbles into the side of Nathan’s neck. “Wasn’t it?”

 

“Yes, it was, but I’m going to need to get out of my boxers before they’re glued on.”

 

“The shower is yours,” Jack replies. “And we can wash your clothes before you leave.” Jack pushes himself up, and he meets Nathan’s eyes. “You could stay the night if you wanted.”

 

There’s a hint of vulnerability in Jack’s eyes, and Nathan suddenly realizes that Jack is just as uncertain about this new development as he is.

 

“I’d like to stay,” he admits and is rewarded with Jack’s bright grin.

 

Jack touches Nathan’s cheek. “Great.”

 

And Nathan pulls him in for another kiss, not quite ready to let Jack go.


End file.
